The Madlanga commission of inquiry has heard that acting police commissioner Lt-Gen Puleng Dimpane asked KwaZulu Natal top cop Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to explain why he held a media briefing in Pretoria in June.
In his testimony before the commission on Monday, Col Deenadayalan “Deena” Govender said he had been told Mkhwanazi had been asked to explain himself in relation to the media briefing.
Govender is the head of the Hawks tracing task team in KwaZulu-Natal, which is alleged to have acted rogue in 172 extra-judicial killings in the province, and which are being investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
In June, crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo was asked by the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) to hand himself over at the Brooklyn police station in Pretoria.
While Khumalo was inside the station, Mkhwanazi told members of the media that “we are at war” and said there was a warrant of arrest in place to have Khumalo arrested.
Khumalo was not arrested.
Govender said he learnt about Dimpane’s request to Mkhwanazi during a meeting he had with Mavuso Ntandane.
According to Govender, Ntandane had tried to persuade him to implicate Mkhwanazi in the extra-judicial killings during his appearance at the commission.
He said during the meeting, Ntandane told him Dimpane had been trying to get hold of Govender but “was scared”.
Ntandane allegedly told Govender about classified information between Dimpane and Mkhwanazi relating to the June press briefing.
“He [Ntandane] said Lt-Gen Dimpane has given Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi seven days to explain the media briefing in Pretoria,” Govender said.
“[Later] I called Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi to ask and he said I was not supposed to know about this. He asked how I came to be aware of the information because that meeting was between him and Dimpane and no-one was supposed to know,” Govender said.
Govender did not give further details about the discussions.
At their meeting, Govender said Ntandane handed him a phone and the person on the end of the call was suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu.
“There was a build-up conversation between Mavuso and the minister before Mavuso handed the phone to me. The build-up was to say I am scared and I needed to be protected,” Govender said.
He said when he took the phone he recognised the voice of the minister because he had previously interacted with Mchunu.
“He said I must implicate Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi to say he gave me instructions for all 172 killings.”
Govender also made the allegation during his first appearance at the commission, when he alleged Mchunu tried to influence him to implicate Mkhwanazi.
Mchunu issued a statement denying the allegations. Govender said he had no reason to lie about the minister because he respects and likes him.
Earlier this year, Witness E told the commission Mchunu sought to manipulate evidence to falsely implicate Khumalo.
According to Witness E, Mchunu discussed the statement he wanted him to submit to the commission, which the witness described as a fabricated version of events.
The details Mchunu allegedly wanted to be fabricated relate to the 2017 assassination of former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa.
Mchunu allegedly wanted the witness to tell the commission he had known about the plot to kill Magaqa and informed Khumalo, who failed to act. However, at the time Khumalo was not part of crime intelligence, according to Witness E.
Mchunu has also denied this allegation.
The hearing continues.
Sowetan
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